Box-marking machine



R. F. STUART. BOX MARKING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED 051:.19, 191B.

1, 35 1 9 353, Patented Aug. 31, 1920.

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R. F. STUART.

BOX MARKING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED 050.19. 1918.

Patented Aug. 31, 1920.

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fzaaw- FWUFFCSL W v g f/ W-W1 R,F.STUARTL' BOX MARKING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED DEC-15h 1918. 1,351,353. Patented Aug. 31;, 1920.

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say, for printing addresses and the like di-' to which it appertains to make and use the these inscriptions by hand or through sten-' Z-tween the actuating ofthe imprinting ele- {STATES- PATENT OFFICE.

305mm F. STUART, or KQKQMQ, Iimm m,

- noxsMArt IjNG MACHINE.

To all whorl it mcly concern: ,Be it k'nown that I, Bonnar- F." STUART, citizen of the United States, residin in the -city .of Kokomo, Howardcounty, ndiana, havehinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Box-Marking Machines; and I do hereby declarethe following to be a full, clear, and exactidesqription of he invention, suclias will enable others skilled in the art same. v, v

.M y inventionmelates to a machine for marking boxes, or other packages; that is to rectly upon such objects instead of applying cils. 41 its general objects, my 1 invention lllilsj-llUPIDVltlG a comparatively simple and easily operable machine of this class in which each ,of the imprinting elements will be automatically retracted after each has performed its work, in which each imprint-' ing, element will vary in its effectivetravel -.ac cording.-,to the surface encountered'by it 25 and will thereby automatically adjust itself to irregularities in its service; in. which the package will automatically be advanced a -distance corresponding to a single space hereadily be raised or lowered to vary the lines alo'n r which the im )r'intin is effected.

and in which the imprinting elements will I automaticallvdie inked during the operation of the machine, More particularly, my invention aims toprovide a machine of this class in which the imprinting elements are carried by a re tatalily mounted drum, and in which the position of the'operativcly located imprinting element will readily be disclosed by a visual indicator; ,to provide simple 'and-foot-operatedaneans for act uating the particular imprinting element which is dlsposed-in oper- -ati\'e position; to/provide means for accurately alining the desired element with the actuating means/and to provide automatic means for retracting. both the imprinting element and the 'actuating mechanism after the actuating of each imprinting element. Furthermore, my invention aimsto provide simple means for successivelymoving the 7 box in one direction between the imprinting Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aw. 31, 1920.-

Application filed December 19,1918. Serial No. 267,422.

of different elements, and to'p rovide simple? and'separate means for moving the box in a relatively transverse direction without/interfering with the aforesaid successive moving r of the box in the other direction. My inventionalso aims to provide a simple mechanism portion so arranged that when moved part way, it will shift the position of the box inone' direction corresponding to the proposed spacing of the imprinting letters u for figures, and that when the mechanism is moved farther it will effect the imprinting of some one ofthe imprinting elements. For this latter purpose, my invention (16- sirably aims to provide a carriage supporting the package and to provide means for moving the carriage, including a ratchet, a* dog arranged for rotating the ratchet a desired distance, and means for operatively disconnecting the dog from .the ratchet wheel after it has effected this desired move-. ment; also, to provide simple means for accurately adjusting this desired movement of the ratchet wheel, and simple means for insuring a returning of the dog to its .operative position.

Still further and tosome extent more detailed objects; will appear from the follow- 'ing specification and from the accompany- ,ing LlI'ZLWI" gs; 1n which draw ngs Figure 1' is a front view'of a machine em bodying' my invention, with the coverplate cut away to expose a part of the drum and of the t .pe-imprinting elements.

Fig. is a central and vertical transverse section through Fig. {1. r

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of the same.

machine, taken from the line 33 of Fig.2.

"Fig. 4 is an enlarged and vertical section taken along the center line of the operatively disposed imprinting element and showing the arrangements for alining and actuating this element. r

Fig. 5is'a detail view showing the ratchet arrangement for actuating the lateral advancing 0f the carriage which supports the box or otherpackage.

Fig. ,6 is a sideelevation of some of the same parts of Fig. 5 taken from the line ti -6 of the latter.

In theembodiment, of the drawings, the machine. ofm'y intention has a frame' ineluding-legs 1 supportingja'table 2 and con- 'nected at some distance below the said table by cross bars 3, which cross-bars/ form,bearings forcertain parts .of the mechanism.-

. tions.

Mounted upon the table 2 is a frame 4 supporting a horizontal shaft 5 which forms a bearing for a drum 6. This drum has a substantially channel-sectioned rim 7 equipped 'with bores extending parallel to the shaft of in letters and figures corresponding to those" carried by the type-carry1ng plunger-s or imprinting elements. Each of these latter elements is kept from rotating in the bore in which it is mounted, by suitable means, such as a pin 13 fast in one of the channel webs of the drum and extending 'into a corresponding groove disposed in the adjacent plunger and extending longitudinally of the latter as shown in Fig. 4. I

In front of the rear end of one of the said plungers, and desirably in front of the lowermost plunger, I dispose a striker 14, mounted on a slide 15 which is carried by a base 16 fastened to a table top 2 and so arranged that this slide may be moved back and forth in a direction parallel to the axis of the adjacent plunger 8. The slide 15 de sirably carries a rackl'T meshing with a segmental gear 18, thus affording substantially .a bell-crank connection whereby the slide may be moved back and forth by partially rotating the segment 18 in opposite direc- For this latter purpose, I desirably provide a link 19 having a slotted end adapted to engage a pin 20 on-an arm carried by the segmental gear 18. This link 19 extends vertically through an opening in the table top 2 and is connected at its lower end to a foot lever 21 carrying a treadle 22, the foot lever being normally kept in its most elevated position by a spring 23 and a suitable connection 24 interposed between the lever 21 and the table top 2, as shown in Fig. 2. With the parts thus disposed, it will be obvious that in raising the foot lever 21, the spring 23 will also raise the link 19, thus causing the lower end of the slotted opening in the latter to engage the pin 20 so as to hold the slide 15 in its retracted position ofrFig. 4. On depressing. the treadle, the link 19 will first move without affecting the position of the segment 18 or the slide 15; but as soon asthe upper end of the loop 43 forming the head of this link 19 strikes the in 20, the segment 18 will be partially rotated, thereby moving the slide 15 and causing the striker 14 to force the plunger 8 rearwardly of the machine against the pressure of the spring 9. To insure the reasonably accurate alining of this striker 14 with one of the type-carrying plungprs whichis engaging of the pawl to be actuated, I provide suitable means for preventing the striker'from being actuated when the parts are not in their desired alinement. For example, I may equip the forward channel web of the drum with substantially semicircular notches as shown in detail in Fig. 4, and may mount upon the slide 15 a finger 25 adapted to enter one of these notches freely when the adjacent plunger is in alinement with the striker 14. The guide finger 25 desirably has a tapering tip, as

shown in Fig. 4, so that it will automatically rotate the drum slightly in case the initial alinement into which the drum was moved by hand was not adequate. This moving of the drum is desirably efiected by means of a ring shaped handle 26, which mag be disposed as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

0 support the box or other package 27 which is to be' imprinted, I provide a carriage including a wheeled base 28 'upon which the box is supported and which carries clamping jaws 29 between whichthe box may be clamped, the rear jaw being desirably high enough to bracethe back of the box against the strain of the imprinting; The wheels of this carriage travel on rails 30 mounted on the head 31 of a plunger 32, which plunger is vertically slidable in a column 33 disposed behind the frame 1. The column 33 is desirably slotted at one side and the plunger 32 has a web projecting through thisvertical slot and, carrying a rack 34 in engagement with a pinion 35.

The pinion 35 is fast upon a shaft extending through bearings on the cross bars 3 to the front of the machine, and the forward end of this shaft is fastened to a ratchet wheel 36. This ratchet wheel maybe moved by a yieldingly mounted pawl carried by a lever 37, the pawl being releasable through a suitable connection terminating in an auxillever ,38. Thus arranged, it will be obvious from Fig. 1 that by'swinging-the lever 37 back and forth, the ratchet wheel 36 will cause the shaft carr ing the same to rotate, thereby rotating the pinion 35 and raising the rack 34, the latter bein normally kept from moving downwar by a suitably arran ed pawl 44 which may be released by a oot lever 45. Consequently, the lever 37 readily permits the rails 30 to be raised to any desired height, while a dis-' by means of the foot lever 45' will permit gravity to lower the track as much as may be desired.

To move the carriage 28 along theltrack, I

attach one of its axles to cords 37 running the vertical link 19, as

Fig. 1. This ratchet is dog comprisin a tal y connect: to shown in Figs. 1

the shaft carrying the and 2. Consequently, a downward movement of the link 19 as effected by depressing the treadle 22 will rotate the ratchet wheel 39 and the drum fastened tothe latter, thereby correspondingly winding the cord 37 on this drum and moving the carriage 28 of Fig. 1 toward the left, the flexible cord connections permitting a definite movement to be secured regardless of the height of the carriage with respect to the ratchet 39. To

limit this movement to a distance. corresponding to the successive spacing of the desired type imprints, I desirably proportion the size of'the teeth on the ratchet wheel- 39 to this spacing. Then I provide means for automatically moving the. tooth on the pawl ,40 out of engagement with this ratchet wheel fafter the latter has been rotated a distance corresponding to one of its teeth by this pawl. For example, I may provide a trip 41 having an inclined face "disposed for engaging the tooth on thepawl 40, this trip 41 desirably being bolted to the cross-bar 3 through a slot in the trip, as shown in Figs.

5 and 6, so that the position of the trip may be accurately adjusted to permit just the desired extent of movement of the ratchet wheel 39 by the pawl 40 To prevent this pawl from accidentally being thrown over too far by the momentum of its engagement with the trip 41, I desirably provide a loop 42 fast upon the trip 41 arranged as shown in Fig. 6 for limiting the movement of the 1 'pawl 40 away from the ratchet wheel in ficiently to bring the upper end of the loop printing.

43 into engagement with the pin 20, andif the pressure is then released so that the spring 23 returns the link19 to its normal position, the result will only be the lateral moving of the carriage, or in other words the movement of the box to correspond to a single space: I can therefore readily move the box laterally for any number of these desired spaces without effecting any im- 'When any letter or figure is to be imprinted, I rotate'the drum 6 by means of the handle 26 until the desired figure is opposite the tip of the pointer 11, which means that the plunger carrying the corresponding type face is opposite the striker 14. Then. I depress the foot lever 21 to its full extent, thereby first advancing the box laterally to the extent of one space and then printing the desired type on the forward face of" the box. On releasing the pressure on the of the remainder of the letters.

treadle, the spring 23 automatically returns the parts to their normal position, retracting the striker as well as the guide pin 25,

so that the drum is free to be rotated to bring the next desired type face into operative position. Then the next depressing of the treadleagain'moves the carriage laterally, corresponding to the desired spacing of the letters, and thereafter imprints the next type face on the box.

By clamping the box between the jaws 28,

.or at least providing a suitably adjusted rear jawf fence against which the back of the box'be'a rsfand holding the front of the box closer to the drum than the limit of rearward travelof the type on the imprinting elements I enable each plunger automatically to "adjust the extent of its movement 'to irregularities in the thickness of the boards comprising the face of the box, or to other irregularities in the surface of the box, as the operator merely depresses the.

treadle until the type plunger is firmly stopped by engagement with the box.

To supply the type faces on the plungers with in in the path through which the faces of the type are rotated when the drum is' moved,

,this roller being supplied with ink from a companion roller dipping into an ink font 47, theink font may be desirably mounted I supply some inking arrangement, as for example a roller 46 disposed.

on pivots supported by the frame 4, (as I shown in Fig. 1') so that this'inkfont may be swung out of the way if necessary, to

permit imprinting on a box or package to unusual height. However, it is normally disposed so that when the drum 6 is rotated in swinging one after another of the desired lettersirito position, the type faces' will suev the roller 46 and will be inked by the latter.

cessively pass over From the above description it will .be obvious thatthe spacing of the type letters-is entirely automatic, although auxiliary spae= ing may be effected by depressing the foot lever 21 only part of the way. Also, that the rails and consequently the carriage 28 1 may readily be raised or lowered so as to shift-the box in position for imprinting on other lesired lines, and that the flexible cords 37 Will permit this shifting without appreciably affecting-the subsequent spacmg while I have illustrated and describedthe machine'of my invention in a'ce'rtain desirable embodiment, I do not wish to be 11m- However,

ited to the details of construction and arrangement here disclosed, it being obvious that the same might be varied'in many respects without departing from the spirit of my invention.

4 I claim as my invention:

1. In a' package imprinting 'mach ne, printing means, means to move the printing means to printing position, package carrier means, means common to the moving means and to the carrier means to actuateeach, and means whereby said common means may be continuously operated without effecting actuation of the moving means.

2. Inan appliance of the class designated, type-imprinting means, means for holding a package in operative relation. to the typeimprinting means, and coiiperating means for actuating the type-imprinting means and for moving the package fora predetermined distance in one direction, the said coiiperating means including a 'pawl, a ratchet. en gaged thereby, a drum fast with respect to the ratchet, a movable carrier for the pack age, and a flexible cord connected to the carrier and wound around the drum upon rotation of the carrier by the pawl.-

3. In a package imprinting machine, slidable printing means, a horizontally moving carrier, a pivoted device to slide the printing means, a vertical rod having a lostmotion connection with thepivoted device, and means actuated by the rod to move the carrier horizontally, said lost-motion 'connection being formed and arranged so that the rod may be actuated to move the carrier without actuating the pivoted :device.

4. In a packag eimprinting machine, a bed, a pivoted drum above thel.'bed, a series of tensioned printing 'plun ers slidably carried by the drum, a slide 0 the bed having a rack, a segmental pivoted gear in mesh with the rack, a striker borne bythe slide and engageable' with the plungers, a guide finger carried by the slide, the drum having parts engageable with the guidafinger, and a vertically depressible member connected to the gear to actuate same.

5. In a package imprinting machine, a"

' pivoted drum, tensioned'printing plungers slidably carried by the drum, means to move the plungers to printing position, a package carrier, means to effect horizontal movement of'the carrier, and combined foot operated means to actuate the plunger moving means and saidcarrier moving means to efi'ect predetermined movement of the carrier upon each operation of the plunger moving means.

move the plungers to printing position and to effect predetermined movement of the carrier n'lplon'each operation of the member.

- '7 a package imprinting machine, a

pivoteddrum, tensioned printing plunger-s slidably carried by the drum, means to move theplungers printing position, a packprinting means and the carrier including 'carrier to be advanced without effecting- 'means actuated by the rod to operate the age carrier, means to effect horizontal movement of the carrier, combined means to actuate the plunger" moving'means and said carrier moving means to effect predetermined movement of. the carrier upon each operation of 'the plunger moving" means, and means whereby said combined means may be continuously moved to actuate the carrier moving means without effecting movement of the plunger movingmeans.

.8. In a packageimprinting machine, printing means, a horizontally movable package carrier, means to vertically adjust the carrier, and means to move the carrier horizontally including a flexible element connected to the carrier whereby to allow the carrier to be adjusted vertically while maintaining operative connection with the carrier.

9. In a package imprinting machine, printing means,-a horizontally movable carrier, means to adjust the carrier vertically, driving means for the carrier, and a flexible connection between the driving means and the carrier to allow the latter to be vertically adjusted. &

10. In a package imprinting machine, printing means, a horizontally movable carrier, and combined means to actuate the lost-motion means whereby the carrier may be actuated without effecting actuation of 'the printing means.

11. In a package imprinting machine,- printing. means, a horizontally movable 10o carrier, a drum, a flexible connection between the drum and carrier, means to actuate the printing means, means between said actuating means and the drum to operate v the latter 'to wind the flexible connection thereon and move the carrier, and-a lost motion connection between the actuating means and the printing means to allow the movement of the printing means.

12. In 'a package imprinting machine, a bed, a pivoted drum above the bed, a series of tensioned printing plungers slidably car ried by the drum, a slide on the bed, a ri id striker borneby the slide and engagea lens with the plungers, a rigid ide finger car-.. ried by the slide, the drum aving parts engageablewith the guide finger, and means to actuate the slide. v

13. In an imprinting machine, reciproca ble printing members, a horizontally moving packa e carrier, means to effect reciproca tion 0 'theprinting members, means to move the carrier, a vertical foot operated rod,

carrier moving means, and a lost motion connection between the rod and the reciprocating means of the printing members.

14:. In a package imprinting -machine, slidable printing members, a horizontally moving carrier, means to move the carrier,

a vertically slidable foot- -0perated rod, means actuated by the rod to slide the printing members, and means operated by the rod to actuate the carrier moving means. .v

15. In an imprinting machine, printing means, a package carrier, a reciprocal elea ment common to both the printing means and carrier, means actuated by said element to move the printing means to printing posi- 10 tion, and means actuated by the element to move the carrier. Signed at Kokomo, Indiana, December ROBERT F. STUART 

